As the WMA definition states: For the purpose of this Declaration, torture is defined as the deliberate, systematic or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting alone or on the orders of any authority, to force another person to yield information, to make a confession, or for any other reason. (World Medical Association,1975) According to this definition, a very large number of persons experienced torture during the Food Riots. This can be seen from the interviews in Mabvuku and in the cases currently being assisted by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. Torture can be classified in various ways, but is by no means synonymous with physical abuse only. The AMANI Trust, one member of the Human Rights Forum, has considerable experience with torture in Zimbabwe, and has provided evidence of the very number of persons who experience long-term, persistent psychological disorders as a consequence of both physical assault and psychological torture. The classification used by the AMANI Trust can be briefly described as set out below, but a more comprehensive explanation can be found elsewhere. Impact Torture physical abuse and deprivation Psychological Torture sensory overstimulation and psychological abuse Witnessing witnessing of torture or executions In addition, disappearances should be mentioned, for this is a method of traumatising political opponents and communities which is being used more frequently. However, we do not deal with disappearances here because this was not mentioned by any informants or in the press. Obviously physical assaults can lead to long-term disability and persistent pain, but what is less well-known is the very frequent long-term consequence of psychological disorders. PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the most common acute disorder, but Depression, Somatisation Disorder and even Brief Reactive Psychosis are common long-term consequences as well as PTSD. It is also common for survivors to have a combination of physical and psychological disorders. As regards the life consequences of psychological disorders due to OVT, social and occupational functioning are frequently affected, with survivors having their social relationships, including disruption to the family, and their work life impaired to a degree. The degree that a person is affected depends upon the severity of the trauma, the frequency of the trauma, and the vulnerability of the person. Table 13 below shows the reported frequencies of the various torture types reported by the survivors seen by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. Table 13 Mean frequency of Torture types reported by Food Riots victims [n=42] Physical abuse 1.3 Deprivation 0.7 IMPACT TORTURE 2.02 Sensory overstimulation 0.21 Psychological abuse 1.5 PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE 1.7